Overcoming Mummy Exhaustion

Thanks to Aaryan Smith, local naturopath, for writing this article.

I see exhausted Mother’s in my clinic each week with symptoms ranging from utter exhaustion, anxiety, teariness, horrible PMS symptoms, headaches, insomnia, low libido, depression, digestive upset and skin breakouts. Juggling multiple roles is really common for Mums these days with some combining paid work, being a fulltime mother, canteen, P & C, cleaning, cooking, peace maker, fundraising, sports, and the list just keeps going. I’ve also found that many Mums in Coffs are by themselves during the week or for even weeks at a time as their partners work away.

Talking about your feelings with someone you trust is a great place to start if you’re feeling stressed, anxious or down. I find that some Mums don’t feel comfortable talking to people they know so they take comfort in chatting to someone impartial like myself, their GP or other health professionals. If your symptoms are more physical or hormonal keeping a record of when and what your symptoms are is also really useful. Implementing regular exercise, eating a nourishing diet and adequate sleep is also essential for optimal health and wellbeing. Many Mums I see have problems with getting enough sleep whether that be from night feeds or stress and most Mums tell me that they need help balancing their diets so we also address this in our consultations.  One of the major things us Mums always forget is time out for ourselves. A good starting point is to think about activities that you used to really enjoy before kids and try to create strategies in your lifestyle so that these can be included once again.

While regular exercise and nourishing food are the basics, I often need to look deeper into your story and this is when a naturopathy consultation is useful. Do you have a hormonal imbalance that is contributing to your fatigue, mood swings or acne? Your diet may be low in key nutrients which form the building blocks for your brain chemicals which affect how you’re feeling. Are you unable to detoxify certain hormones or toxins from your body contributing to poor skin, abdominal weight gain, or PMS? My consultations include a comprehensive health history, full body system review, dietary review and functional pathology testing if we need further information.  I also have some mothers who come to me for a therapeutic remedial massage and this is all some need to recharge their batteries.

Being a mother is the toughest job you will ever undertake but it will also be the most rewarding. Look after yourself and forgive yourself for being slightly selfish on the odd occasion so that you can be a healthier and happier Mum.

Aaryan works from her professional clinic in the beautiful village of Nana Glen, a short picturesque drive from Coffs Harbour.   She is available for consultations by calling 0414 344 865 or emailing info@aaryansmith.com. Also take a look at her website – www.aaryansmith.com and Facebook page.